Chapter III, Article 18, Paragraph 3. · Regulation (EU) 2026/2280

Contents

3.Without prejudice to the obligation to leave the territory of the Member States, third-country nationals shall:

(a)remain available to the competent authorities on the territory of the Member State competent for the return procedure of which the third-country nationals are the subject, not abscond, including to another Member State, and present themselves for the departure of the transportation for return as determined by the competent authority;

(b)not physically or verbally obstruct the return;

(c)provide without undue delay, all information and physical and digital documents and documentation, including copies and electronic records thereof, relevant for establishing or verifying identity or nationality or otherwise relevant within the return procedure that they possess or are reasonably presumed to be able to obtain, in particular by providing the competent authorities with an identity or travel document or cooperating on obtaining an identity or travel document;

(d)not destroy, withhold or otherwise dispose of information, documents and documentation, referred to in point (c), use aliases with fraudulent intent, provide other false information in an oral or written form, or otherwise mislead the authorities or fraudulently oppose the return procedure;

(e)provide an explanation in the event that they are not in possession of an identity or travel document;

(f)provide information on the third countries transited, the travel routes used, or other third countries with which they may have other connections that might facilitate return;

(g)provide biometric data as defined in Union and national law, including Article 2(1), point (s), of Regulation (EU) 2024/1358 of the European Parliament and of the Council^note;

(h)comply with travel requirements of carriers and entry requirements of third-country authorities, including health requirements, when such requirements are generally imposed on international travellers;

(i)provide, when requested by the competent authorities precise contact details, including current place of residence, address, telephone number where they may be reached and, where available, an electronic mail address;

(j)provide, without undue delay, information on any changes to the contact details referred to in point (i);

(k)comply with any measure imposed under Article 20(1) and Article 23(1), throughout the return procedure;

(l)provide all required information and statements in the context of requests lodged with the competent authorities of relevant third countries for the purpose of obtaining travel documents and cooperate with these authorities of third countries, as necessary;

(m)appear in person or by means of videoconference, as required by the competent authorities, before the competent national or third-country authorities at the location indicated by such authorities for the purpose of acquiring travel documents and establishing their identity or nationality;

(n)where required by competent authorities, participate in return and reintegration counselling;

(o)comply with other relevant additional measures in relation to return under national law.

Obligations imposed upon the third-country national under this Article shall be without prejudice to obligations and measures not related to return provided for under national law.

Defined terms · 11

Show every defined term

absconding
means the action by which a third-country national does not remain available to the competent administrative or judicial authorities;
country of return
means one of the following:
decision ordering removal
means an administrative or judicial act or decision stating or declaring that a third-country national can be removed to one or more countries of return;
entry ban
means an administrative or judicial act or decision prohibiting the entry into and stay on the territory of the Member States of a third-country national;
illegal stay
means the presence, on the territory of a Member State, of a third-country national who does not fulfil, or who no longer fulfils, the entry conditions for third-country nationals as set out in Article 6 of Regulation (EU) 2016/399, or the conditions for stay or residence in that Member State, or, in the case of a Member State not bound by that Regulation, the conditions for entry, stay or residence laid down in equivalent national law;
removal
means the enforcement of a return decision or a decision ordering removal by the competent authorities through physical transportation from the Member States to a country of return;
return
means the actions by which an illegally staying third-country national:
return decision
means an administrative or judicial act or decision, stating or declaring the stay of a third-country national to be illegal and stating or imposing an obligation for that third-country national to leave the territory of the Member States;
return operation
means an operation organised or coordinated by a competent authority or supported by Frontex by which third-country nationals are returned from one or more Member States.
third-country national
means any person who is not a citizen of the Union within the meaning of Article 20 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and who is not a person enjoying the right of free movement under Union law, as defined in Article 2, point (5), of Regulation (EU) 2016/399;
voluntary return
means the departure from the territory of the Member States on his or her own, with or without assistance, and without resorting to removal, of an illegally staying third-country national complying with the obligation to leave within or after the expiry of the departure period set out in the return decision;